Sides at the new Freakin' Unbelievable Burgers in Farmington Hills include hand-cut onion straws (left) and battered, deep-fried green beans (right), served in tall metal paper-lined cones. In the background is a burger with sweet potato fries. / Sylvia Rector/Detroit Free Press

More

ADVERTISEMENT

The Flint-based Freakin’ Unbelievable Burgers company has brought its towering hamburgers and 44 toppings to Farmington Hills in a sleek, $1-million-plus restaurant on Orchard Lake Road.

The fast-casual company grinds its own Certified Angus Beef, uses brioche buns and hand-batters its extra-large chicken tenders. As alternatives to beef, it also offers its sandwiches made with turkey burgers, grilled salmon filet, grilled chicken breast, grilled portabellas, and fresh-never-frozen black bean burgers.

The burgers come with two beef patties, and the 10 specialty burgers — priced from $5.49 to $6.49 — are piled high with as many as seven toppings and sauces; guests may also design their own burgers.

Beverage choices range from soft drinks, shakes and fruit smoothies to draft and bottled beer, three wines, and frozen margaritas and daiquiris.

The Farmington Hills location is the brand’s second company-owned store, says founder and president Brent Skaggs of East Lansing.

The owners are looking for other locations for company-owned stores in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties and are also seeking franchisees for stores in Michigan and Ohio. “We would like to have a minimum of 10 locations in the next two or three years,” he said.

Guests order at the counter and get their own soft drinks and napkins at a service area; a staff member brings their food to the table in ceramic, glass or metal service pieces — not plastic.

Sides such as Freakin’ Fries, onion straws and deep-fried green beans come to the table in tall metal cone-shaped holders; ceramic bowls are used for serving chili, loaded fries and salads; and the soup spoons, forks and knives are metal. Draft beers and wine are served in glasses.

Skaggs chose not to use disposables because “we wanted to give the experience of a casual-dining restaurant at the price of a fast-food restaurant. That was our goal,” he said. “When my wife and I came up with the idea ... we were looking for a place we would like to go, where you could get a cold beer and burger and have no tipping,” he said.

One of the company’s keys to success is its “amazing amount of toppings and options,” he says. Choices range from fresh avocado slices, drunken mushroom and crispy onion straws to bacon, fresh jalapenos and sliced cucumbers. Guests can choose from eight cheeses, 13 sauces and more than a half-dozen sides, as well as chili.

The Freakin’ dining room is finished in modern tones of dark gray, taupe and dark olive with dry-stacked gray stone pillars, corrugated steel wainscoting, chrome-trimmed pendant lamps and fabric-covered banquettes. A two-story glass-enclosed front dining alcove — which once housed a children’s playscape in the former Burger King space — is now accented with a crystal chandelier visible from the street.

The company, opened in May 2012, was recently named one of the nation’s “top burger concepts to watch for 2014” by BurgerBusiness.Com. Skaggs and his investment group also own the casual Hayden’s Grill and Bar in Canton, Harvey’s Grill and Bar in Saginaw and Bay City, and a franchised concept called Fazoli’s, Skaggs said.